Shinra Electric Company Karaoke Night
by Midorima Kazunari
Summary: Rude's sister agrees to be Reeve's date at Karaoke Night, but she can't help the way her eyes wander to someone else.


Callie caught herself rolling her eyes again as she pretended to listen to her upper-management date explain his fascination with urban development. Truthfully, if Reeve hadn't been a friend of Rude's, her brother, there was no way she'd have sat through the last hour of his one-sided conversation. Her brother's solid presence nearby reminded her why she sat there watching Reeve nervously run his hands over the perspiring glass, now empty of the expensive liquid he'd ordered just to impress her. _I shaved my legs for this?_ she thought as he laughed at one of his own jokes.

Tifa, her brother's big-bosomed date, said something and got the other side of the table laughing. She used the excuse to look over to the others. She'd been avoiding looking there for the entire night – it was a place she'd knew she'd get in trouble. Rude's partner, Reno, sat between Tifa and his date, Elena, a junior Turk. Reno's electric smile and his sharp tongue perfectly complimented his wild red hair, swung over one shoulder in a messy ponytail. For some reason, she knew if she looked once into those eyes, she'd never want to look away. So, she did the only sensible thing and turned back to her date. There was an adage she lived by – dance with the one who brung yah.

Elena, a dim blonde at best, chatted Reno up, and with a clunk, he let his highball glass hit the table. For a moment, the noise distracted Elena enough to make her lose her train of thought. She hesitated, and then steamed ahead as Callie rolled her eyes at another of Reeve's stupid anecdotes to which she was only half-heartedly listening. As she looked away, those dazzling aqua eyes locked onto hers and he smiled – just a little – as they shared a moment of empathy.

"Why in the world," asked Tifa, "did Rufus pick W-Pop for Karaoke Night?"

"For the music's sake," Reno slurred as he ordered another drink.

"Because he's fluent in Wutainese, he wants to show off, and he's the boss, who cares?" Reeve said loudly, revealing his intoxication.

Reno reached across the table, intent on the salt shaker, but it was out of reach.

"A little help," he said, and Callie pushed it across to him. He shook the salt on his napkin before settling his drink down onto it.

"How'd you get that scar?" Tifa asked, and everyone's eyes immediately went to the thin white line running from Reno's palm, all the way up and under the dingy white button-up Oxford's sleeves that he'd rolled up to the elbows.

"I bit myself," he said playfully, and his eyes dared the group to question him again. From her vantage, Elena couldn't see what they were talking about, so she pulled Reno's arm into her lap.

"That's silly, how could you bite yourself in a perfectly straight line?" she questioned as he recoiled from her touch.

"I was standing on a chair at the time," he said dully.

"You talk too much, Elena," Rude said, and she fell quiet for the first time all night. In the lull of the conversation, Rufus sprinted up with a sheet of paper in his hand and leaned on Rude.

"Here's the song list. I expect this will be fun," he said. Rufus reeked of alcohol, and a red wine stain decorated the front of his otherwise perfectly white suit. Rude took the paper and immediately shoved it at his sister.

"What are you going to sing, Callie?" he asked, getting the attention off himself as quickly as possible. She scanned the list of songs, thankful that she knew one or two of them. Rude leaned into her and read over her shoulder as Rufus moved on to the next table of his employees.

"Didn't you sing Tsunami Dragon's new song last time we did Karaoke, you should do it again. Show that punk up," Rude said.

"Is it a good idea to 'show up' the boss?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"I'd like to see that little monster humbled. Besides you don't work for him," Reno said. "Hey, let me see that list." Callie handed it over and he studied the titles.

"A little heavy on north shore, huh? Alright, I'll do the Four Warrior's song, its catchy," Reno offered as he tossed the paper on the table. Elena snatched it up, but didn't seem enthusiastic about the choices and let it fall back to the table.

* * *

Rufus came around again about a half an hour later, signed them up, and gave them a performance number. By the time Callie got up for the microphone, Elena was lying across the table unconscious, and Reeve was in the bathroom. She took the microphone, and forgoing the lyric sheet, she began to sing as the accompanying track mechanically played in the background. Without so much as a warm up, she struggled a little over the high notes and found her breath control was much lacking. But in comparison to the _empty-handed _singers before her, it was quite good. She felt Reno staring at her from his place on the steps as he waited his turn. She wanted to look at him, but that would have been far too obvious. So instead, she focused in on her brother and his big boobed date, making the song more of a little joke on their behalf.

She bowed once as the audience clapped for her, and handed the microphone off to Reno as he sauntered by. His Cheshire Cat smile and lewd wink made her laugh as he bowed to her before pushing the monitor to tilt it upward. He untangled his glasses from his hair and put them on as the song meandered through the introduction. Although his pronunciation was far from perfect, Callie couldn't help but laugh at the theatrics he managed to portray as he swooped down on one knee and pointed directly at Rude. She laughed aloud, then snickered behind her hand as it continued.

"What's so funny?" Rude asked, elbowing her in the ribs.

"This is a sarcastic love song…," she began, as her brother turned several shades of red, before finally turning an ugly green. Reno swept the floor in a low, drawn out bow, almost losing his balance, and then he left the stage.

"That was mean," Callie accused with a smile.

"You understood the words?" he asked, paling slightly, and pushing his glasses back into his hair.

"Yeah," she smirked.

"I don't think that was funny, Reno," Rude said, cracking his knuckles.

* * *

There were a few more made paltry attempts at some of the other songs, but of course, Rufus won the evening – Vice Presidential luck always prevailed at these stupid Shin-ra Electric Company functions.

Callie took Rude's keys, and led the drunken ensemble to the parking garage. Reno sang Callie's song off-key, lugging the clearly unconscious Elena along. Reeve tripped over his feet, landing in the parking space next to Rude's SUV.

"Let's pile the drunks in the back," Tifa suggested as Reno unsuccessfully tried to shove Elena into the back seat. Rude hauled Reeve off the asphalt and happily took her suggestion. Elena went in next, limbs akimbo, and Rude shut the back hatch before anyone could argue. Tifa pulled the front door open and pulled herself shakily into the seat.

"You'd better let Reno sit up front; he gets car sick," Rude said, taking her out of the front and helping her into a seat where he could better watch over her.

"Do not," Reno protested, but climbed up into the seat anyway, figuring Rude only wanted to make out with Tifa in the back seat.

Callie dropped Elena off first, then Reeve, and then kicked Rude and Tifa out at his apartment, promising to bring the SUV by when she woke up tomorrow.

"Where to?" she asked Reno's motionless body, slumped against the window.

"Huh?" he said, groggily, looking around.

"Where do you want me to drop you?" she said again, once more regretting that she'd agreed to be the designated driver.

"304 West 40th," he said, and once again slumped against the window, leaving a vapor trail of his hot breath against the window. Rude would be less than pleased if Reno puked all over his leather interior. She pulled over at the address he gave her ,and looked around suspiciously at the coffee-house that sat before them. She poked him in the sid,e and he jumped to life.

"This is where you live?" she asked.

"Nope, right there," he pointed to the floors above the shop, "but I don't plan on going up until I've had some coffee. Would you like to join me?" he asked with no more trace of intoxication as he once again smiled at her with those electric eyes. She nodded, parked, and thought to herself - _well maybe I didn't shave my legs for nothing. _


End file.
